(Written by Raquelle Solon, FEI Business Solutions Engineer)

My name is Raquelle and I’m thrilled to join FEI. After spending 15 years working in crisis management and violence prevention, along with being a human resource manager and security executive, I thought I had a pretty good handle on understanding and responding to behavior. Yet, I’ve learned so much in the last six months working with FEI’s crisis management and EAP teams, along with their partnership with Mandt.

Since joining FEI, I’ve conducted trainings from serious life-saving topics like workplace violence prevention to employee development topics such as time management and teamwork. Understanding how stress can act as a trigger for individuals and teams is key to keeping employees on their A game. Feeling overwhelmed or stressed plays an integral part in a person’s lack of productivity, lack of focus and increased outward hostility.

I’ve also come to understand the impact trauma has on our society. The CDC and Kaiser-Permanente study on Adverse Childhood Effects (ACEs) indicates that two thirds of our general population is affected by trauma. The statistics are much higher for those individuals who receive support from institutions for mental illness and intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. I’ve begun looking beyond the behavior someone is utilizing, changing my mindset from the thought that people are choosing their behavior to understanding that their behavior could be a result of trauma they’ve experienced, which often leaves them little choice when reacting because of how their brain interprets the situation.

Hindsight is typically 20/20, and I’ve had a couple of personal “ah-ha!” moments as well. Learning more about Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), I can identify moments in time where I’d like a do-over. All parents probably feel this way at some point, but as a parent and caretaker of a disabled child now turned adult, there are times where I wish I’d known about other interventions and the basis behind the behavior. Rather than beat myself up, I am endeavoring to put my newfound knowledge to practice at home and in the workplace as I help organizations who serve individuals exhibiting challenging behavior.

I couldn’t be happier with my role at FEI. Being able to both professionally train from our extensive training offerings and working with customers to find the best solutions, I have the best of both worlds.

Interested in knowing more? Leave a comment or contact me directly – I’d love to chat.